There has been speculation Franson’s rights might be dealt sooner than later with a number of interested suitors should the two-way defenceman be put on the market. But Carlyle and Franson hit it off after previous coach Ron Wilson could not find the right fit for the hard-shooting defender.

The Cody Franson trade rumours don’t make a lot of sense to me. Unless the Leafs are starting them, hoping to reduce the price of the restricted free agent. Franson made a lot of progress in his first full year under Randy Carlyle … In his one season with the Marlies on an AHL contract — which meant he could have left any time to play with an NHL team — at least 18 teams contacted Paul Ranger, hoping to sign him. His answer was always no. Ranger should be one of the Leafs’ six defencemen come October … Once it was determined Jake Gardiner was not available, the player the L.A. Kings wanted most from the Leafs in the Jonathan Bernier trade was defenceman Carl Gunnarsson.

Recently re-signed Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis has already made his mark on the team in his first seven months on the job, but his biggest test is still ahead of him.

The Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf, a defenseman who logged 25:10 minutes per game in 2013, has just one year left on his contract. On top of that, their leading scorer, Phil Kessel, is also set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The two marquee names on the Toronto Maple Leafs roster, Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf, are both slated for unrestricted free agency next July. Which means somewhere out there are agents and lawyers working for the players and on management’s side, furiously trying to determine exactly what the two are worth and what kind of contract each can reasonably expect on the open market.

Former Maple Leafs assistant general manager Bill Watters was interviewed on Oilers Now on Friday, and he had both an interesting rumour and some harsh words for Toronto captain Dion Phaneuf. In part, here’s what he had to say:

Dion Phaneuf should be dispatched as soon as they possibly can and the story I hear is that Edmonton’s interested and if they are tell [general manager Craig MacTavish] to take him and have fun with him. I find him to be the most overrated, undernourished hockey player in the history of the NHL and whoever made him the captain of the Maple Leafs should have been fired six years ago.

The Maple Leafs, who have plenty of cap space, have signed David Clarkson in addition to keeping Tyler Bozak. Bozak re-signed for $21 million over five years. The Leafs bid between $5.5 and $6 million for seven years on Clarkson, reports Doug MacLean, and the UFA agreed to a seven-year deal with Toronto:

On the day Mikhail Grabovski officially takes himself off the open market, the former Toronto Maple Leafs centre is also likely to become a NHL free agent.

What a turn of events.

The Leafs placed Grabovski on unconditional waivers Thursday with the intention of using a compliance buyout on him if he clears Friday – which just happens to be the day the 29-year-old will marry his longtime girlfriend in Toronto, according to agent Gary Greenstin.

If Norris Trophy-nominated defenceman Kris Letang can’t come to a long-term deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, his preferred landing spot would be with the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Speaking to Jim Tatti and Mike Hogan on TSN Radio 1050’s Game Night on Wednesday, Rossi explained why such a scenario could take shape.